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Cliff Moore, Adam Hagerman and I recorded most of the songs in one to two takes, I feel like I
can hear that in the album. There were a few songs that took a couple extra takes, but the way
we play together on the fly creates a
live exciting vibe. We also had some
great guest artists, Aaron Mayfield on
Hammond Organ and Red Young on
piano.
We made the album in the February
before the pandemic, and we were
set to release it that following
August. But the pandemic was hard
on everybody, and I didn’t feel like
this record should be released
without being able to tour it.
We finally released the album this
March through the VizzTone Label
Group. It’s sad and took so long to get
it out, but it also did give me a couple years to revisit and remix the album. We did get the chance
to take our time and get the album finished the way we wanted to.
LL: Please tell us about all the musicians/producers who contributed to the album.
NS: Chris Hardwick and I have been working together for several years now, we have released
three albums total together now. He has a great sense of what works and what needs work while
recording he has an excellent business sense, and he is a talented music producer and great to
work with.
Aaron Mayfield is an incredible Organist and Drummer. He has done the Blues Cruise with us
and toured a little with us. He is such a great guy and a great player.
Red Young and I met working together with the Bender Brass Band which is the house band for
“Big Blues Bender” a weeklong blues festival in Las Vegas. I was amazed at his skill on the organ
and piano. Truly he is a talented musician. He did such a great job on these tracks. I love his piano
on ‘Throw Poor Me Out’.
LL: What did you do during the global pandemic?
NS: This pandemic was a profound time for everyone. Most people know someone who the
pandemic took. It’s important to me to take time and be thankful for my health and the health of
my family and friends.
We had been touring the previous October we were in Poland, Czech Republic, and Slovakia for
a month, we came home and started a giant tour in New York City to San Diego. We came back
through Texas New Orleans and Florida down to Ft. Lauderdale to embark on that January Blues
Cruise. We finished the Blues Cruise and continued on the road with George Thorogood
immediately. We had two days off and stayed in Atlanta, and then the pandemic hit. All of our
shows (and for everyone else) started cancelling. When you have a tour booked and you lose six
or seven shows, it’s financially impossible to try to make the last one, with everything closing
down everything just did completely cancel so everyone was just reacting the best we could.
I sent Cliff and Adam back to Kansas City because it had gotten so bad in Atlanta. We drove back
to Kansas City, and I realized I had no work, and basically was thin.